The other morning I was again having breakfast at a café down the street from my apartment, in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera. I always like to sit up front of the café to people watch, people that are always in a hurry to get to work.

Well, the other morning I saw what looked like the Marlboro Man pushing a bicycle.  The only thing missing was the horse and boots.  The guy had the cowboy hat, the scruffy look and what looked like a badass attitude written on his face.

As the guy got closer to me I noticed he was a milkman and not selling cigarettes.  Too, the guy was not driving a delivery truck but pushing a bicycle.  This I had not seen before, a milk delivery bicycle that had old rusty trays at the front and rear of a bicycle to hold individual glass bottles of milk. I don’t think I have seen individual glass milk bottles in years for that matter.

I went to take a picture of the milkman with my pocket camera that I ALWAYS thought I carried BUT I had left it at home.  Being that I have been living in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera for a year and half  and this is the first time I have seen the milkman in person, I left my breakfast at the table and ran home to get my camera.  I grabbed my camera and ran back to the café – but he was gone.

So I looked around and found him not too far away crossing the street so I ran and started taking pictures.   The gentleman looked at me and he didn’t seem to mind me taking pictures, so I continued taking his picture and he continued pushing the bike.  As he was walking away from me, I wondered if he ever rode the bicycle or did he just push it.

I ran up to the Milkman again and started talking to him and he never stopped walking.  The first question I asked must have been stupid because he just stared at me.  My question was:  Do you ever ride the bicycle or do you just push it.  He didn’t seem to what to answer such a question, so I asked another one.  Just how long have you been delivering mike in the area using a bicycle? He said for 40 years.

I asked if he delivered in other neighborhoods but he said no, just this one (Col. Santa Maria la Ribera).    The Milkman then added that his milk was special, not like that store bought milk.  He proudly said that his milk comes from the farm and fresh out of the cow.  He said he starts early in the day and works until the early after noon delivering milk.

The guy was never grumpy though he had a grumpy characteristic about him.  I found him helpful – but he never stopped to talk, he just pushed his bicycle.  Said he was on this way to get more milk, I guess trying to finish his day without any more interference.

Though this guy sort of looked crumpy and was acted serious about his work, he did enjoy the attention I was giving him.  To answer the question:  Did you buy any milk? The answer is no.  He had sold out :-(

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